Mode of manufacturing corselets for medicinal and other purposes



ALANSON ABBE, OF YVORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS.

MODE OF MANUFACTURING CDRSELETS FOR MEDICINAL AND OTHER PURPOSES,

Specification of Letters Patent No. 2,035, dated April 2, 1841.

To all whom/2'15 may concern Be it known that I, ALANsoN Anne, of\Vorcester, in the county of lVorcester and Commonwealth ofMassachusetts, have invented a new and useful Improvement in the Manner.of Making Corselets for Medical Purposes and other Uses, called AlansonAbbes Improvement in the Manufacture of corselets, of which thefollowing is a correct. description.

The corselet consists of a back piece, and of two side pieces, which areunited to and open from the back piece by a hinge of metal, cloth, orother material fixed at the top, and in front are laced with strings.These are made when connected to inclose the breast, shoulder, upperpart of the back, and are adjusted to the shape of the wearer, orrepresent the figure of the body of a well formed person.

The corselet affords support to the frame and may be advantageously usedto prevent or remedy distortions of the spine or chest.

In making the corselet a mold is prepared of any metal, wood, plaster,or other suitable material, having a back piece, represented in thedrawing by Figures 2, 3, 5, A This piece at the top rises over theshoulder blade, having on each upper corner a circular opening ordepression to receive the arms, Fig. 2, a, a, and is made to incloseabout one-half of the body. At the bottom it is expanded, and forms arim corresponding to the swell of the human figure in the part thecorselet is intended to cover. This construction is represented in Figs.2, 3, 5 and 1 at b, b. At the upper corner of the mold, below the arm ahinge is attached for the purpose of connection with the side pieces, orsuch hinge may be applied to the corselet after being taken from themold, or omitted entirely.

The hinge, which may be of metal, cloth, leather or other fit materialis represented in Figs. 3, and 5, c, c.

The side pieces are of oblong shape, swelling at the top to receive thebreasts, and curving outward toward the bottom, for the purpose ofbringing the distorted figure erect and ofgiving gracefullness to theform of the wearer. They are represented in Figs. 1, 3, 4, 6, A; theyhave a hinge at the upper corner, corresponding with that alreadydescribed as attached to the back piece, and of similar materials. Alongthe edges of the several pieces are perforated holes for strings, tolace the back pieceto the side pieces, and to lace the front piecestogether, so as to ad ust' the corselet when Worn to the convenience ofthe wearer;

All the pieces are made to conform tothe shape of the wearer, or tocorrespond to an erect and well formed person; so that when the corseletis used it shall fit to the shape of the person, if well formed, asnearly as possible at every part; but if the figure be distorted, thenthe corselet being adapted to an erect and well formed body, will press.only on the prominent parts they cover when worn.

If made of metal, the mold may be fitted to any figure or form of thebody, by being forged; or the pieces may be cast in a mold of plaster ofParis of other substance. When the mold has been prepared, the piece islaid down with the upper surface outward. Linen or cotton cloth of suchsize, thickness, firmness and strength as may be desired is stretchedover the outward surface and secured by being sewed through the holes onthe edges or across the inside of the mold or in any other convenientmode. The upper surface of the cloth is then covered with varnish, andover the varnish is laid a sheet of pasteboard large enough to cover themold. This sheet may be secured in its place by glue or other substancesof adhesive quality if it be not retained firmly by the varnish. Toadjust the sheet to the swell and curve of the mold, cuts are made atthe top and bottom longitudinally, so that the upper and lower edgeswhen pressed upon the mold will be in strips. After the sheet has beenadjusted to the mold, the triangular openings between the cuttingsoccasioned by the pressure and spreading apart, are filled with piecesof pasteboard carefully fitted so as to make the whole sheet of eventhickness. The upper surface of the pasteboard is then covered with acoat of varnish and the upper covering of cloth is stretched over andpressed smooth. The whole is dried by exposure to the air or by heat.

The thickness of the. corselets may be increased to any degree requiredof stiffness or thickness by adding successive layers of pasteboard orof cloth, or any part may be made flexible or stiffened as required.WVhen the corselet is formed the exterior surfaces or either of them maybe varnished. A double mold may be used formed by two sets of the singlemold, each of the pieces being made to fit over and to correspond toeach other. The varnish may be prepared from gum lopal, gum shellac, orfrom any other glutinous substance having the quality of being adhesive,and which when dried will not be soluble by the perspiration of the bodyor exposure to moisture. India rubber (caoutchouc) may be employed afterbeing dissolved in the usual manner. \Vhalebone or horn or other similarmaterial which can be softened by heat or in other manner so as to yieldto pressure and afterward to regain its hardness, may be used, eitherspread in one sheet or cut into strips. WVhen whalebone or horn istaken, the double mold must be employed. The cloth having been stretchedover the mold and the material adjusted and covered with cloth as beforedescribed either with or without varnish, the molds are pressedtogether, and heated to the temperature which will cause the material toconform to the shape of the mold, or the whalebone or horn may be formedupon the mold and afterwards covered with cloth when cold.

Any part of the corselets may be stiffened and shaped upon the mold asbefore clescribed, and any part may be left without The mode ofmanufacturing oorselets by forming them of any suitable material upon amold, or between double molds as above specified.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand, at "Worcester 011 thisfifteenth day of January in the year of our Lord eighteen hundred andforty one in presence of the witnesses whose names are hereafterwritten.

ALANSON ABBE.

Witnesses DANL W. LINCOLN, WILLIAM LINCOLN.

